Random House leery of iPad over pricing concerns

Hachette Book Group also pulls away from Amazon

It looks like the tide is starting to turn decisively against Amazon's $9.99 e-book publishing model -- first MacMillan fought back and won, then HarperCollins dragged Bezos and Co., back to the negotiating table, and now Hachette is beating on the door. That's at least the word according to a leaked memo from Hachette Book Group CEO David Young, in which he says the "agency" pricing model favored by MacMillan -- and used by Apple new iBooks store -- is the way to go. Ultimately this all comes down to power and control, and we're getting the feeling the publishers have realized that they have to exert it in order to keep it -- and oddly enough, it seems like Apple and the iPad are the leverage they've been waiting for. Get ready for the shakeout.

P.S.- Charlie Stross has a nice breakdown of the differences between the Amazon model and the agency model, if you're interested in the nitty-gritty.